MAR Heaven

 

Finally got around to reading this major series by Anzai Nobuyuki, MAR Heaven, and while it was enjoyable, Flame of Recca still remains the stronger of the two. MAR Heaven is one of those early-2000s isekai series set in a fantasy world filled with magical weapon artifacts called ARMs. The story follows a high school boy named Ginta, who is transported into the MAR world and embarks on an epic adventure to save it from evil organizations, accompanied by allies and a sentient Ball and Hammer ARM, with quite a personality.

Since the MAR Heaven manga run is essentially half the length of Flame of Recca, the peak satisfaction from the series isn’t as high, and it can get formulaic at times. In contrast, Flame of Recca feels more original. Nobuyuki-sensei definitely recycled several elements from Flame of Recca in MAR Heaven, for better or worse; you’ll notice some character designs feel familiar, and the ARMs are essentially a fantasy version of Madougu.

Personally, I really like the ARMs concept; it’s like taking Doraemon’s gadgets and expanding them into a fantasy framework. Unfortunately, MAR Heaven never fully realized that potential. Its shorter run and weekly serialization forced it into monotonous tournament-style battles, often neglecting character development and leading to a climax that feels overall very weak than it could have been.

Even so, MAR Heaven is still better than most mass-produced isekai of the present. It was successful enough to spawn several multimedia adaptations, including a Nintendo DS game that I personally encountered.

On a closing note, it turns out that Anzai Nobuyuki-sensei was an assistant to Kazuhiro Fujita-sensei, the author of Ushio and Tora, which explains the similar dynamics between Ginta and Babbo. 

Cyborg Kurochan

A particular shonen action manga that enjoyed brief popularity in the late ’90s to early 2000s, Cyborg Kurochan was one of the works that sparked my love for the mecha genre. The story follows Kuro, a cat who, after a freak accident, is turned into a gatling gun–wielding cat-cyborg by a homeless, eccentric scientist. It’s a wild, mecha-themed misadventure full of fun, chaos, and mayhem!

Looking back, Cyborg Kurochan might seem like a quirky, somewhat mismatched relic compared to other popular manga of its era. Yet, it remains a solid example of the mecha genre done with humor and energy. In many ways, it serves as a spiritual predecessor to Keroro Gunsou, another Japanese mecha parody featuring anthropomorphic animal characters. The chaotic fun and slapstick misadventures of Kurochan evoke a simpler, more carefree era of manga storytelling.

Interestingly, Cyborg Kurochan was successful enough to inspire multimedia adaptations, including a shooting platformer game on the PSX by Konami. I might explore that game in a future post, as it’s an interesting piece of the series’ legacy.

+Anima

Revisiting an old fantasy manga from my middle-school years, +Anima! It’s not necessarily a standout in its genre, but +Anima captures an atmosphere that feels uniquely early-2000s: earnest, imaginative, and open-hearted.

+Anima tells a lighthearted yet thoughtful fantasy story set in a world where some humans can transform parts of their bodies into animal features called “+Anima.” Because society generally fears or shuns anything “different,” +Anima must hide their powers lest they be persecuted. The main plot follows a boy with Crow +Anima powers, Cooro, who travels across continents with several fellow +Anima friends in search of a place where they truly belong.

Though +Anima may not break new ground in every aspect, it remains a compelling example of what the manga industry could do in the early 2000s; carefree creativity, original ideas, and a willingness to explore both dark and hopeful themes. Unfortunately such worldview were no longer possible after 2008 where +Anima essentially serve as Canary that cannot survive the manga environment after this period where fantasy genre are slowly filled with mass produced isekai series.

+Anima might not have much to offer but you want to see what an early 2000s series could do, this is a decent candidate to look at.

Saint Seiya

Took me about 15 years after Saint Seiya: Lost Canvas before finally diving into the original classic, but I’m proud to announce that I’ve completed my run of the Saint Seiya manga! One of the great late-80s manga classics by Kurumada-sensei, it shaped the Japanese shonen industry with its iconic armor-clad Zodiac knights, the Saints.

Being a millennial, my exposure to Saint Seiya was mostly through the anime with fragmented memories of arcs and battles. Finishing the manga finally gave me the complete picture. The storyline is actually quite simple, structured around four major arcs. My earliest memories are tied to the Sanctuary arc, and I never expected the earlier arcs to last as long as they did.

By today’s standards, Saint Seiya may not have aged perfectly. But for its time, it was innovative, with mystical armor and special tropes that inspired later works like Shurato and Yoroiden.

Beyond its novel concepts, Saint Seiya stood out for delivering a laser-focused shonen experience. It follows the adventures of the five Bronze Saints as they fight to save the world and protect their patron Goddess, Athena. This clear, action-driven structure made it a household name in Japan. That said, in the original series, other characters like the Gold Saints and Hades Specters often ended up as fodder for the Bronze Saints’ battles. At least later spin-offs, like Lost Canvas, attempted to address this flaw.

For me, the biggest issue was the breakneck pacing in the final arc. The climactic showdown against Thanatos, Hypnos, and Hades is squeezed into less than two volumes, giving the Bronze Saints’ God Cloth forms very little screen time.

Despite these flaws, I still admire Saint Seiya for its innovation and impact on shonen manga. Its anime adaptations have also played a huge role in popularizing the series, and I might explore that massive library someday.

Kingdom Nendoroid Kyokai

 
 Kingdom without a doubt is a reigning champion of Shonen manga genre. But due to lack of its marketability, the series never get much merchandise until now. But with the upcoming new anime season for Kingdom, the Japanese hobby manufacturers consider to chip in with this series once again including Goodsmile Company. Out of many Kingdom major characters, Goodsmile picked Kyokai the flower vice commander of Hi Shin Unit as their first Kingdom Nendoroid, Scheduled for February 2026, Nendoroid Kyokai will be sold for 6900 Yen SRP.

For Kingdom series, I would have thought Shin would be the prime candidate to be the first recipient for Nendoroid treatment. But in the end it turns out to be Kyokai which turns out to be fine nonetheless. Kyokai is a fencer from a legendary tribe who were known for ungodly swordsmanship during their tranced mode. Kyokai served as one of the early member of Hi Shin unit in her quest of vengeance for the killer of her elder sister but eventually formed attachment with this army which will cement its legendary in the Warring states era and become the valued member. At the current point of Kingdom's story, Shin and Kyokai had developed very close bond and fans like myself look forward to the moment where the relations fully bloomed. 

Given that Banpresto getting its share of Kingdom prize figure, I wouldn't be surprised if we will be getting SHF treatment for Shin and Kyokai.

Revisiting Jigoku Sensei Nube

With the recent Jigoku Sensei Nube anime remake, I decided to pay a visit to one of my favorite Shonen manga in my teenage years once again after putting the series into backburner for so long. Despite Hell Teacher Nube being one of my favorite Shonen manga at some point as I owed my fascination toward Youkai genre through this series, I never really did complete reading for this series, considering Jigoku Sensei Nube fan translation back then did stuck around 50% for quite some time.

But over past few years Nube’s fan translation do reach around 75% and it is more than enough to allow for a complete reading experience of the series for me. As I did have physical copies to complement the gap for the current missing chapters from Online translation. Given that my old article for Jigoku Sensei Nube in this blog was written when I was about halfway through the series. In this opportunity I would like to write a full-fledged article with broader perspective as a proper homage to Jigoku Sensei Nube after I did a complete revisit.

Chrono Crusade

 Late 90s/Early 2000s saw Japan made some really good mangas which some become major success and still have lasting legacy until this day. Where as in this particular period, some of them have very well developed world outlook which makes it appealing for International readers. After Gunslinger Girl,  Chrono Crusade is another of those "renaissance" manga that has that particular International charm and It was also one of my favorite read too back in High School.

Taking place in fictional 20th Century setting, Chrono Crusade is Modern Biblical adventure of Human vs Demons which a Trigger-Happy Sister and her Demon boy partner served as the main character. In this heavily Christian themed Japanese Manga, there are more things that meets than the eye as the protagonists will have to eventually confront a group of enemies world ending threats related to their past. Chrono Crusade is notably remembered for its short yet action packed  3-Act storyline spanning over 8 Volumes. This is one of those manga that had bittersweet ending and If you like modern fantasy genre, this one surely worth a read. Back then Chrono Crusade also have 24-episode anime made by Deen, but better stick with the Manga for this one.

Demon Slayers: Kimetsu no Yaiba

 At long last I finished my journey with this particular popular mainstream manga after reading it halfway years ago. Back when I was still working in Hobby Industry, I was always bewildered how Kimetsu no Yaiba got plenty of merchandise support including some rather absurd one. But all in all through this reading marathon, I got to see what it's worth from Kimetsu no Yaiba. 

Overall even if I finished reading the series, Kimetsu no Yaiba is still not exactly my cup of tea but I do understand why this series is a mainstream success. To be Frank, Kimetsu as a Shonen Manga had the perfect amount of blandness to be the Cash Cow for the major Japanese corporation as it tries its best as a Shonen Genre and nothing less. I would say, that one thing that Kimetsu no Yaiba did really well is that it is really good manga if you want to see many teenagers to die a pointless dog's death which KNY provide in graphic detail.

This particular take of the direction by KNY particularly received very well by the manga main target audience who are mostly young adults. As the gory details of the young demon slayers dying horribly getting maimed here and there reflects the bleak outlook of the Japanese young adults who are burdened with immense duty to work slavishly with little gain to support their society and senior population. There were many mangas that tried to follow the same footstep with KNY like Jigokuraku or Chained Soldier, but they are likely won't be getting the same success because their quality are not just the one sought by the major backers in anime industry.

Gunslinger Girl

 Revisiting this one of the many early 2000s manga series that I used to follow quite fanatically in my Highschool days and as expected it is still a very good read. Gunslinger Girl is one of those early 2000s Japanese manga that exudes a particular sense of optimism as it try convey the value of Japanese being a member of Global Community who are willing to actively contribute and very well aware of subject matters pertaining about the world affairs outside its own nation, in particular a Euro-centric one. Kami no Shizuku, Chrno Crusade and Aria series are some of the few prominent works that possess this particular trait and as for Gunslinger Girl's it will try to display this aspect through its take on Modern Italy.

 A modern fiction that takes on a secret government organization of Italy that turned Crippled young teenage girls into deadly combat cyborg fighting against Terrorist Organization, Gunslinger Girl is a Japanese modern take on Italian Tragedy, a popular subgenre that found prominence in Italian Opera where it has most of the main protagonist of the play dies off in the final act. While I am not particularly an avid fan of this genre, as a general manga reading fan I would say the intertwining tales of Classic Italian Vendetta and unrequited love of young maidens who lived as a killing tool certainly a good yet gripping read experience. As I grew older I also come to appreciate the story of North and South Italy conflict that results in Terrorism act which is used as the main them in Gunslinger Girl.

Early 2000s was a renaissance era for Japanese manga genre which was a fresh breath of air and a contributing reason why millenials like me had positive image toward Japan which unfortunately is not the same anymore. I would say the 2008 Financial Crisis is a major contributing factor that these sort of particularly exotic manga series ceased to exist as the whole industry begin to shift solely for profit instead of pursuit for fine arts. Perhaps at some point I will talk about another Manga series that had similar vibe with Gunslinger Girl.

Dragon Ball - That Time I got Reincarnated as Yamcha

 Continuing my homage to Toriyama-sensei, this time I will talk about a particular Spin Off manga of Dragon Ball. After DBZ Manga, Dragon Ball still got healthy amount of spin off Mangas even though not as extensive as the anime counterpart. But one does not expect an Isekai series for a Dragon Ball Spin Off which in fact turns out to be a pretty good one.

 That Time I got reincarnated as Yamcha is a short story of Highschool Fan of Dragon Ball who went through the usual Isekai procedure and somehow find himself reincarnated as Yamcha, one of the weakest member of Z Fighters. Using his extensive knowledge as Dragon Ball fans, the main protagonist took all means possible to get himself as Yamcha to his highest potential which ultimately lead up to his showdown with Nappa and Vegeta. Overall this DBZ Isekai Spin Off is a rather short one yet very amusing for while it last. If the author wishes for it, He could have make the story to cover until Majin Buu arc. In any case given the tremendous legacy of Toriyama-sensei we could expect plenty of Tributes for his work which may include another Isekai series if the demand is great enough.

Eulogy for Akira Toriyama-sensei

 A really surprising turn of unfortunate events that happens so sudden. Normally Realm of Darkness won't have these kind of post but given the Individual's tremendous contribution in Japanese Pop Culture and Shonen genre, One ought to pay the due respect for the Living Legend. This morning on 8th March, Akira Toriyama-sensei's studio had officially announce the passing of the legendary Mangaka on 1st March due to illness. This is truly a big loss for Japan Pop Culture industry especially the Shonen genre because one cannot overstate the contribution of Akira Toriyama-sensei toward the industry as a whole as he is essentially one of the Top Pillars that allowed Shonen genre to thrive until this day. His work of Dragon Ball series easily remain the most popular Shonen work in many countries up until now and easily some of the best Money maker for Bandai.

 While I am not exactly the biggest fan of Toriyama-Sensei's work as I gravitate toward mecha genre. I did grew up reading Dragon Ball and thankful for the fond memories. I found that the Capsule Mechanical designs that were featured extensively during the early parts of Dragon Ball are quite ahead of its time and I do still appreciate this particular aspect at very least. As a way to pay homage to Toriyama-sensei's passing I am considering to do another Dragon Ball manga marathon soon and put Dragon Quest series marathon on my bucket list.

 With Akira Toriyama-sensei's passing one would be reminded to be concerned with other fellow Popular Shonen Mangaka that still has their works unfinished in particular Hunter X Hunter and Detective Conan which does not exactly have the best health situation and One just hope that they will given the necessary time to finish their works. It is very depressing, but after Kentaro Miura and Akira Toriyama sensei passing this won't be the last of the sad news as some of the best Mangaka who have given some of the best entertainments for multiple generations whether Millenials like me or the older or younger generation. But best wishes for these great Mangakas for those who have still unfinished business to be given the necessary time and opportunity to complete their works.

City Hunter

  One of the legendary Shonen Jump Manga in 80s which I just got to finish reading until now, published in the era where Hokuto no Ken series reigns supreme, City Hunter do make good use of the similar artstyle, carving a name for its own. City Hunter is a modern setting Japan action manga featuring the story of a Ryo Saeba, a skilled Sweeper which are freelancers skilled with fireweapons doing oddjobs that tend to involve underworld society most of the time. However despite being one of the best in his craft, Ryo Saeba is a chronic skirtchasing lecher who only takes request from beautiful damsels in distress most of the time and his lecherous antics often results him getting punished by assistant Kaori with comically large hammer. City Hunter is a big name in manga industry simply being one of the pioneer that marks the Manga genre transition from hyperviolence era of mid 80s into Slapstick lighthearted adventures which will spawn big titles such as Ranma 1/2 and Ghost Sweeper Mikami.

  I was first exposed City Hunter series when I was a kid in early 2000s reading some magazine which featured this series as one of its articles. It was only until now that I managed to finish reading City Manga which is to be frank an anticlimactic experience for me. Perhaps because I had read several 90s big title mangas with Slapstick comedy, City Hunter does not particularly resonate strongly with me despite it is being the OG of this archetype. As the main selling point of City Hunter does not have particular strong effect on me, City Hunter's glaring flaw become more apparent which is the lack of main overarching story to build hype for the main character. 

 Thus as a result I feel that City Hunter never really put main strength of Ryo Saeba into good use whose true nature is a man of danger who can act perfectly as a ruthless efficient killer or a ladies man. Instead we got a skirtchaser who act like a buffoon most of the time in manga despite he can easily make any top tier ladies fall in love with him. One thing that is undeniable is that artwork quality of City Hunter is a Top tier classic of its era, an echo of the past that will never return as the mangaka had done his part dutifully. At some point I will probably give Angel Tears a read which is some sore of spiritual successor of City Hunter even the latter is not exactly my cup of tea.